Even hitting a lightpole or two would have been a non-issue if he was just wearing BELTS OR A HELMET.

One of the semi-famous Detroit guys died in the early 2000's doing something similar. Testing a customer car on Grosbeck, no belts, no helmet. Lost it, hit a telephone pole and died.

Most poles along most streets are power or lite poles, some have some telephone cable or wires on them
I've put in many poles for the first telephone company that I worked for as a apprentice lineman, very few where for telephone only in the Mojave desert back in the early 1960s
Any utility pole that is taller than 22 Ft from the top down to the dirt or sidewalk is usually a joint use or power or lite pole only, not telephone only

Chit happens... Next race please....